Enclosure system incorporating a cartridge assembly housing an extendable and retractable enclosure panel

ABSTRACT

An enclosure system having a cartridge assembly with a flexible panel is provided for use in forming an enclosed area. The cartridge assembly may be replaceable. The enclosure system may generally include a frame assembly having bottom and a top track assemblies and a lead post movably mounted on the bottom and top track assemblies. A cartridge assembly may be removably mounted to the frame and include an outer shell having a spring-biased drum rotatably mounted within the outer shell for retaining the flexible panel. A support post may be initially attached to the lead post and jointly displaceable with the flexible panel. The support post may be stopped at a corner area of the frame and limit sagging of the flexible panel at the corner area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/530,960, filed on Nov. 19, 2021, which is a Continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/227,160, filed on Apr. 9, 2021,which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/029,608, filed on Apr. 14, 2016, which is a National Stage of PCTApplication No. PCT/ES2014/070818, filed on Oct. 31, 2014, which claimspriority to Spanish Patent Application No. P201301046, filed on Apr. 11,2013, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety. Furthermore, the present application claims priority toSpanish Utility Model Application No. U 202230590, filed on Apr. 7,2022, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to retractable enclosure panelsand, more particularly, to an enclosure system incorporating areplaceable cartridge housing an extendable and retractable enclosurepanel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shower screens are generally positioned on bath and shower spaces,generally defined by surrounding walls, in order to prevent water fromsplashing outside the bath or shower area delimited by the walls and thescreen. Generally, these screens have a peripheral frame which isattached to the walls, and onto which closure elements (e.g., screens orpanels) are mounted to enclose the bath or shower space during use.

In some cases, these closure elements consist of generally rigid,sliding panels. The panels may be made of glass, and may be mounted onguides defined in upper and lower uprights of the frame. A user mayslide one or more of the panels to an open position in which the panelsdefine an opening through which the user may enter or exit the showerarea. Alternatively, the user may slide one or more of the panels to aclosed position in which the panels enclose the shower area, such as forshowering, or to simply conceal the shower area.

Existing shower panels or screens feature different problems. Forexample, shower panels may be difficult to clean. The panels may be soheavy that correct operation of the panels between the open and closedpositions is cumbersome. Furthermore, glass panels may break and causeharm to surrounding persons or damage nearby objects.

Alternative enclosures are known in which the closure element is formedby a flexible sheet or panel, which may be made of plastic, and whichwinds onto and unwinds from a rotating drum. When the panel is rolledonto the drum, free access is provided to the inner area of theperipheral frame. Alternatively, the panel may be unrolled from the drumto provide enclose the bath or shower space.

In this type of screen, the flexible sheet rolls up over the rotatingdrum due to the action of preloaded torsion springs, which act on therotating drum and bias the drum to rotate in the rolling direction ofthe sheet over the drum.

In these known roller screens, the rotating drum, as well as the meanscausing rotation thereof for the rolling-unrolling of the sheet, aremounted to or form part of a vertical profile or upright comprised inthe peripheral frame. The profile typically includes a slot throughwhich the flexible sheet is extended and retracted.

Documents WO2002/065884, WO2004/054419, ES2020454, ES1033753, ES1034999,and ES1036044 describe examples of closing mechanisms in which theelements causing rotation of the roll-up device, as well as the flexiblesheet, are contained within or form part of one of the uprights orvertical profiles of the peripheral frame, which in turn is fixed to thebuilding side walls, partitions or walls.

In order to maintain or repair these known roller systems, it istypically necessary to totally or partially dismount the upright (whichhouses the rolling means), which in turn generally requires removal ofthe peripheral frame. These actions are relatively complex and must benormally carried out by a qualified technician. In some cases, thequalified technician may not even be able to repair the unit, in whichcase the enclosure system must be entirely removed and replaced by a newenclosure model. In other cases, in which some parts of the enclosuresystem may be susceptible or repair of replacement, these operations canneither be carried out in a simple or quick manner, nor be performed, bythe users themselves, and instead must be performed by qualifiedprofessional staff. The qualified staff must firstly determine thespecific problem, and then proceed to repair the part. Often, thequalified staff determines the enclosure must be replaced with adifferent enclosure from the many which are commercially available, at ahigh cost and after a high period of time.

Accordingly, there is need for a solution to at least one of theaforementioned problems. For instance, there is an established need fora shower enclosure system having an extendable and retractable panel,wherein the panel and other parts of the system may be easily replacedwhen deteriorated without the need for a qualified professional.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an enclosure system having acartridge assembly with a reinforced, extendable and retractableflexible panel. The enclosure system generally includes a frame assemblyhaving a bottom track assembly and a top track assembly and a lead postmovably mounted on the bottom and top track assembly. The cartridgeassembly is mounted to the frame and includes an outer shell having adrum rotatably mounted within the outer shell for retaining the flexiblepanel. The flexible panel may be spring-biased to automatically retractinto the cartridge and wind onto the drum. A support post is releasablyattached to the lead post and is movably mounted over the flexiblepanel. The lead post, support post and flexible panel are jointlydisplaceable along the top and bottom track assemblies. The top andbottom track assemblies may include at least one stopper configured toblock displacement of the support post at the corner areas, such thatcontinued pulling of the lead post disconnects the lead post from thesupport post and allows the lead post and flexible panel to advance pastthe corner areas. The support post, in turn, may remain at the cornerareas and limit inward sagging of the flexible panel towards the showerarea or other space to be enclosed by the flexible panel.

In a first implementation of the invention, an enclosure system forselectively enclosing a shower area or other space may include a frame.The frame may comprise a top track assembly and a bottom track assemblyarranged in a spaced-apart configuration with one another and extendinghorizontally along a space. Each of the top and bottom track assembliesmay include respective first and second linear track segments and arespective corner area arranged between the respective first and secondlinear track segments. The frame may further include at least onestopper at one or both of the corner areas. The enclosure system mayfurther comprise a cartridge assembly carried by the frame, thecartridge assembly comprising a shell and a flexible panel extendablefrom and retractable into the shell to selectively enclose the space. Alead post may be attached to and extend along a leading edge of theflexible panel located outside the shell. The lead post may beconfigured to travel along the top and bottom track assemblies. Asupport post may be disconnectably attachable to the lead post andarranged on an inner side of the flexible panel facing the space. Thelead post, the flexible panel, and the support post attached to the leadpost may be jointly displaceable along the first linear track segmentsof the top and bottom track assemblies, and the at least one stopper maybe configured to stop displacement of the support post at the cornerareas. With the support post stopped by the at least one stopper at thecorner areas, the lead post may be disconnectable from the support postby pulling on the lead post, enabling advancement of the lead post andflexible panel past the corner areas and along the second linear tracksegments of the top and bottom track assemblies. The support post at thecorner areas may be arranged at or proximate to the inner side of theflexible panel limiting inward sagging of a portion of the flexiblepanel located between the corner areas.

In a second aspect, each of the top and bottom track assemblies mayinclude a respective corner assembly disconnectably attachable to therespective first linear track segment and the respective second lineartrack segment of the top and bottom track assemblies. The respectivecorner assembly may provide the respective corner area.

In another aspect, the at least one stopper may include a first stopperat the corner assembly of the top track assembly and a second stopper atthe corner assembly of the bottom track assembly.

In another aspect, the support post may include an elongated main body,and at least one upper roller and at least one lower roller arranged atopposite top and bottom ends of the elongated main body. The at leastone upper roller and at least one lower roller may protrude outwardrelative to an outer side of the flexible panel opposite the inner sideand may be configured to roll along the top and bottom track assemblies.The upper and lower rollers may be rotatable about respective horizontalrotation axes. The support post may further include at least one pair ofpanel rollers. Each pair of panel rollers may consist of a first panelroller and a second panel roller rotatable about a respective verticalaxis and arranged on opposite sides of the support post at the innerside of the flexible panel. The flexible panel may extend between the atleast one pair of panel rollers and the upper and lower rollers. The atleast one pair of panel rollers may rollingly contact the inner side ofthe flexible panel.

In another aspect, with the support post and flexible panel advancedpast the corner areas and the support post stopped by the at least onestopper, first and second portions of the flexible panel extending fromthe corner areas may be maintained generally parallel to the first andsecond linear track segments, respectively, by the at least one pair ofpanel rollers.

In yet another aspect, the at least one pair of panel rollers mayinclude a top pair of panel rollers arranged at the top end of thesupport post and a bottom pair of panel rollers arranged at the bottomend of the support post.

In another aspect, the top and bottom pairs of panel rollers may bearranged in vertical registration with one another.

In another aspect, the at least one upper roller may include a pair ofupper rollers, and the at least one lower roller may include a pair oflower rollers.

In another aspect, the pair of upper rollers may be arranged moreseparated from one another than the first and second panel rollers ofeach pair of panel rollers. The pair of lower rollers may be arrangedmore separated from one another than the first and second panel rollersof each pair of panel rollers.

In yet another aspect, the elongated main body may be arranged betweenthe first and second panel rollers of each pair of panel rollers.

In another aspect, the support post may include a top carriage memberand a bottom carriage member. The elongated main body may extend betweenthe top and bottom carriage member. The at least one upper roller may berotatably carried by the top carriage member and the at least one lowerroller may be rotatably carried by the bottom carriage member. The atleast one pair of panel rollers may be rotatably carried by the carriagemembers.

In another aspect, each of the top and bottom carriage members mayinclude a respective horizontal portion and a respective verticalportion forming an L-shaped arrangement. The at least one upper rollerand the at least one lower roller may extend outwardly from therespective vertical portion of the top and bottom carriage members. Theat least one pair of panel rollers may extend from and between thehorizontal portions of the top and bottom carriage members.

In another aspect, the at least one pair of panel rollers may include atop pair of panel rollers carried by the horizontal portion of the topcarriage member and a bottom pair of panel rollers carried by thehorizontal portion of the bottom carriage member.

In yet another aspect, the at least one stopper may include a firststopper at the corner assembly of the top track assembly and a secondstopper at the corner assembly of the bottom track assembly, and the topand bottom carriage members may include a respective stop bar protrudingfrom the respective vertical portion. The first and second stoppers maybe configured to stop displacement of the support post at the cornerareas by a contact between the support bars and the first and secondstoppers.

In another aspect, the support post may be disconnectably attachable tothe lead post by an elastic clip connection.

In another aspect, the elastic clip connection may connect a leading endof the support post to a trailing end of the lead post.

In another aspect, an outer surface of the support post may be outwardlycurved at least along a side of the support post facing the inner sideof the flexible panel.

In yet another aspect, the cartridge assembly may be disconnectablyattached to the frame.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawingsand the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be describedin conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and notto limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements,and in which:

FIG. 1 presents a top, front isometric view of an enclosure system inaccordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, theenclosure system comprising a frame, a replaceable cartridge attached tothe frame, and a flexible panel extendable from the cartridge, theenclosure system shown in first or open position in which the flexiblepanel is fully retracted into the cartridge;

FIG. 2 presents a top, front isometric view of the enclosure system ofFIG. 1 shown in a second position, in which the flexible panel partiallyextended along the frame of the enclosure system;

FIG. 3 presents a top, front isometric view of the enclosure system ofFIG. 1 shown in a third position, in which the flexible panel furtherpartially extended along the frame of the enclosure system and a supportpost of the enclosure system deployed at a corner of the frame;

FIG. 4 presents a top, front isometric view of the enclosure system ofFIG. 1 shown in a fourth or closed position, in which the shower panelis fully extended and secured to the frame of the shower enclosure andencloses a shower area;

FIG. 5 presents a top, front isometric view of a first or lead post ofthe enclosure system of FIG. 1, the lead post including a double latchassembly and a pair of rollers of a roller system of the enclosuresystem;

FIG. 6 presents an enlarged, exploded top, front right-side isometricview of the double latch assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 presents an enlarged, top, front left-side isometric view of thefirst post and double latch assembly of FIG. 5 prior to engagement witha clip of the double latch assembly mounted in the frame;

FIG. 8 presents an enlarged, top, front right-side isometric view of thefirst post and double latch assembly of FIG. 5 prior to engagement withthe clip of the double latch assembly mounted in the frame;

FIG. 9 presents a front elevation view of the first post and doublelatch assembly of FIG. 5, during engagement of a pair of latches of thedouble latch assembly with the clip of the double latch assembly tosecure the first post to the frame;

FIG. 10 presents a front elevation view of the first post and doublelatch assembly of FIG. 5, during disengagement of the pair of latches ofthe double latch assembly from the clip of the double latch assembly torelease the first post from the frame;

FIG. 11 presents a top, front isometric view of a second or support postof the enclosure system illustrated in FIG. 1, including additionalpairs of rollers of a roller system of the enclosure system and stopmembers for limiting the travel of the second post along the frame;

FIG. 12 presents an exploded top, rear isometric view of a lower trackassembly of the frame of the enclosure system of FIG. 1, the lower trackassembly including a corner stop;

FIG. 13 presents an exploded top, front isometric view of the lowertrack assembly of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 presents a cross-sectional top plan view of the lower trackassembly of the frame and the first and second posts of the enclosuresystem of FIG. 1, illustrating the combined lead and support postsadvancing towards the corner stop of the lower track assembly;

FIG. 15 presents a cross-sectional top plan view, similar to FIG. 14,illustrating the lead post passing the corner stop of the lower trackassembly and the movement of the support post being arrested by thecorner stop of the lower track assembly;

FIG. 16 presents a transverse, cross-sectional view of a portion of thelower track assembly of the frame of the enclosure system;

FIG. 17 presents a transverse cross-sectional view of the lower trackassembly with inner and outer rollers the roller system of the secondpost positioned in the lower track assembly;

FIG. 18 presents an exploded, top front isometric view of thereplaceable cartridge assembly of the enclosure system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 19 presents an enlarged, top front isometric view of a paneltensioning mechanism of the replaceable cartridge assembly of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 presents an enlarged, top front isometric view of a top area ofthe spring tensioning mechanism of FIG. 19, with a spring tensioningmechanism shown in a lowered or locked condition;

FIG. 21 presents an enlarged, top front isometric view similar to FIG.20, with the spring tensioning mechanism shown in a raised or unlockedcondition to adjust panel pre-tension;

FIG. 22 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view of top and bottomareas of the replaceable cartridge assembly of FIG. 18, with the springtensioning mechanism in the unlocked condition;

FIG. 23 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view of a lowerportion of the string tensioning mechanism, illustrating a bottom springconnector of the spring tensioning mechanism positioned within a drum ofthe replaceable cartridge assembly;

FIG. 24 present a top plan view of the replaceable cartridge assembly ofFIG. 18, with the tensioning mechanism in the locked condition;

FIG. 25 presents a top plan view, similar to FIG. 24, of the replaceablecartridge assembly of FIG. 18, with the tensioning mechanism in theunlocked condition during pre-tensioning of the drum of the replaceablecartridge assembly;

FIG. 26 presents a cross-sectional top, front isometric view of theassembled replaceable cartridge assembly of FIG. 18, the cartridgeassembly shown in an initial condition corresponding to the openposition of the enclosure system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 27 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view of the assembledreplaceable cartridge assembly of FIG. 18 in the initial condition ofFIG. 26;

FIG. 28 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view, similar to FIG.27, of the assembled replaceable cartridge assembly of FIG. 18, wherethe replaceable cartridge is arranged in a final condition correspondingto the closed position of the enclosure system shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 29 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view of the assembledreplaceable cartridge assembly in accordance with another embodiment ofthe invention, the cartridge assembly including top and bottomtensioning mechanisms, each including a respective dampening mechanism;

FIG. 30 presents a top plan view of an inner end of the shower panel ofthe enclosure system engaged with the drum of the enclosure system ofFIG. 18;

FIG. 31 presents a top, front isometric view of a foldable ramp systemfor use with the lower track of the disclosed enclosure system, thefoldable ramp system shown in a fully deployed condition over the lowertrack;

FIG. 32 presents a top, front isometric view, similar to FIG. 31, of thefoldable ramp system in an unfolded condition;

FIG. 33 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view, taken alongsection plane 33-33 indicated in FIG. 31; and

FIG. 34 presents a cross-sectional side elevation view, taken alongsection plane 34-34 indicated in FIG. 32.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several viewsof the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the described embodiments or the application anduses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary”or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, orillustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or“illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other implementations. All of the implementationsdescribed below are exemplary implementations provided to enable personsskilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure andare not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is definedby the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”,“lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, andderivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1.Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed orimplied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background,brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to beunderstood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in theattached drawings, and described in the following specification, aresimply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in theappended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physicalcharacteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not tobe considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

The present invention is directed toward an enclosure systemincorporating a replaceable cartridge assembly, which includes acartridge that houses an extendable and retractable enclosure panel. Theenclosure system may be used, for instance and without limitation, toenclose a shower or bath area inside a home or at another facility, suchthat the shower or bath area may be used with privacy.

The illustrations of FIGS. 1-4 present an enclosure system 100 inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention foruse, for instance and without limitation, in a stall or shower area1000. With reference initially to FIG. 1, the enclosure system 100includes a replaceable cartridge and panel assembly 110, which comprisesa cartridge assembly 112 mounted to a frame 114 of the enclosure system100. The replaceable cartridge and panel assembly 110 additionallyincludes a flexible enclosure sheet or panel 116 which is initiallyhoused within the cartridge assembly 112 and which is extendable andretractable therefrom along the frame 114 to form an enclosure withinthe shower area 1000 to contain shower water (not shown) and prevent thewater from spraying out the enclosed area, and to provide privacy to aperson showering within the shower area 1000.

The replaceable cartridge and panel assembly 110 further includes afirst or lead post 118 and a second or support post 120. The lead post118 is affixed to the flexible panel 116 and is operable by a user toextend and retract the flexible panel 116 in and out of the cartridgeassembly 112. The support post 120 supports the flexible panel 116during movement or positioning of the flexible panel 116 along the frame114 as discussed in more detail hereinbelow. The flexible panel 116,along with the lead post 118 and the support post 120, are movable alonga bottom track assembly 122 of the frame 114 and an opposing, spacedapart top track assembly 124 of the frame 114.

In order to support the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124,respectively, in a spaced-apart position relative to one another, theframe 114 of the enclosure system 100 may include a first verticalsupport 126 and a second vertical support 128. The bottom track assembly122 and the top track assembly 124 may be affixed to or mounted on thefirst and second vertical supports 126 and 128, respectively, to form agenerally rigid frame 114.

The lead post 118 of the replaceable cartridge and panel assembly 110 ismovable along and guided by the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and124 to draw the flexible panel 116 along the bottom and top trackassemblies 122 and 124, as shown in FIGS. 1-4. Sufficient pulling of thelead post 118 and, consequently, of the flexible panel 116 affixedthereto, eventually causes the flexible panel 116 to reach a closedposition in which the flexible panel 116 encloses the shower area 1000,as shown in FIG. 4. In order to prevent the flexible panel 116 in theclosed position of FIG. 4 from inadvertently opening, the lead post 118includes a latch assembly 130 which is releasably engageable with aninner surface of the second vertical support 128 to releasably securethe lead post 118 to the second vertical support 128 and thus secure theflexible panel 116 in an extended condition with respect to the frame114, or closed position of the flexible panel 116. As further shown inFIGS. 1-4, a handle 134 is provided on the lead post 118 to facilitatemanually moving the lead post 118, and thus the flexible panel 116,along the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124, respectively.

As noted above, the enclosure system 100 may be provided for use inenclosing a stall or shower area 1000 of the kind typically found inhomes, office buildings and stores and the like. Additionally, theenclosure system 100 may find use in outdoor shower areas such as thosein public pool or beach areas or in private outdoor locations adjacent ahomeowner's pool or house. In other applications, the enclosure system100 may be used to enclose any type of area, whether it be forshowering, bathing or other uses. For simplicity, the present detaileddescription will refer mainly to shower, bath or otherwise humid areas;however, unless otherwise expressed, the terms “shower” or “bath” are tobe understood as non-limiting and encompassing any area capable of beingenclosed by the invention.

With reference to FIG. 1, the shower area 1000 may include a floor 1100and one or more walls, such as, but not limited to, a first wall 1120and a second wall 1130. The frame 114 of the disclosed enclosure system100 is mounted to the shower area 1000 and the replaceable cartridge andpanel assembly 110 is removably mounted onto the frame 114, such thatthe replaceable cartridge and panel assembly 110 may be removed from theframe 114 for replacement in the event of damage or excessive wear tothe flexible panel 116 and/or other components of the replaceablecartridge and panel assembly 110.

The frame 114 of the disclosed enclosure system 100 may be fixedlyattached to the shower area 1000 by securing the bottom track assembly122 of the frame 114 to an upper surface 1140 of the floor 1100, to anupper rim of a bathtub (not shown), or to another applicableframe-supporting structure. Additionally, the first vertical support 126of the frame 114 may be secured to an outer surface 1150 of the firstwall 1120 and the second vertical support 128 of the frame 114 issecured to an outer surface 1160 of the second wall 1130. The top trackassembly 124 may be supported between the first and second verticalsupports 126 and 128, respectively, as shown. Alternatively oradditionally, the top track assembly 124 may be secured to a ceiling ofthe shower area 1000.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the disclosed bottom and top track assemblies 122and 124, respectively, may be straight, curved, angled, or combinationsthereof, depending on the type of installation and the shape of theshower area 1000 (FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the bottom trackassembly 122 and/or the top track assembly 124 may be length-adjustable,to facilitate installing the enclosure system 100 in different showerareas 1000 or other areas. In other embodiments, the bottom trackassembly 122 and/or the top track assembly 124 may have a predeterminedlength.

For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the bottom and top trackassemblies 122 and 124 are angled, and both the bottom track assembly122 and the top track assembly 124 are length-adjustable. The bottomtrack assembly 122 of the present embodiment includes a first lineartrack segment or assembly 136, a second linear track segment or assembly138, and a corner piece or assembly 140 intermediate the first andsecond extendable linear track assemblies 136 and 138, respectively.Similarly, the top track assembly 124 includes a first linear tracksegment or assembly 142, a second linear track segment or assembly 144,and a corner piece or assembly 146 intermediate the first and secondextendable linear track assemblies 142 and 144, respectively. The firstand second linear track assemblies 136 and 138 of the bottom trackassembly 122 and the first and second linear track assemblies 142 and144 of the top track assembly 124 of the present embodiment arelength-adjustable such that they may be extended and compressed to allowthe frame 114 to be adjusted to fit a specific size shower area 1000 asdiscussed in more detail hereinbelow.

As noted hereinabove, the replaceable cartridge and panel assembly 110includes two moving posts, namely, the lead post 118 and the supportpost 120. Initially, the support post 120 is attached to the lead post118 and is pulled forward together with the lead post 118 and flexiblepanel 120 (FIGS. 1 and 2). As the support post 120 reaches the area ofthe corner (i.e. the area of the corner assemblies 140 and 146), thesupport post 120 is stopped such that the support post 120 remains insaid area as the lead post 118 while the flexible panel 116 continues tobe pulled towards the closed position (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). Inorder to stop the movement of the support post 120 along the bottom andtop track assemblies 122 and 124 at the respective corner assemblies 140and 146, one or both of the bottom corner assembly 140 and the topcorner assembly 146 includes a projecting stopper or stop pin 148configured to engage with, and block forward movement, of acorresponding projecting stop bar 150 comprised in the support post 120,all of which are described in greater detail hereinafter. Once thesupport post 120 is stopped at the corner assemblies 140 and 146 of thebottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124, the support post 120provides back-up support to the flexible panel 116 at the cornerassemblies 140 and 146 to prevent the flexible panel 116 from sagging orbowing in as the flexible panel 116 is drawn around the corners formedin the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124, respectively, asshown in FIG. 3, and once the flexible panel 116 is arranged in theclosed position of FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, and initially with regard to FIG. 1, inbasic use, the cartridge assembly 112 is releasably mounted to the firstvertical support 126 and the flexible panel 116 is initiallysubstantially retained within the cartridge assembly 112. The lead postand support posts 118 and 120, respectively, are positioned adjacent thecartridge assembly 112 with the support post 120 releasably connected tothe lead post 118 as discussed hereinbelow. The flexible panel 116 isaffixed to the lead post 118 in known manner.

The shower area 1000 is accessible by entering the shower area 1000through the open frame 114. Once a person has positioned themselveswithin the shower area 1000, the flexible panel 116 is drawn out of thecartridge assembly 112 (for example by said person pulling on the handle134) to enclose the shower area. By pulling on the handle 134, the leadpost 118 is pulled along the first linear track assembly 136 of thebottom track assembly 122 and the first linear track assembly 142 of thetop track assembly 124 to move the flexible panel 116 in the directionof arrow “A” shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This advancement of the flexiblepanel 116 is facilitated by the use of the handle 134 on the lead post118.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, continued pulling of the handle 134causes the lead post 118 and flexible panel 116 to be jointly pulledaround the corner assemblies 140 and 146 in the direction of arrow “B”towards the second vertical support 128. As the support post 120 arrivesat the corner assemblies 140 and 146 of the bottom and top trackassemblies 122 and 124, respectively, the stop bar 150 on the supportpost 120 engages the stop pin 148 on the lower corner assembly 140 andis prevented from moving further along the bottom and top trackassemblies 122 and 124. It should be noted that, as will be described ingreater detail below, a similar stop pin 148 may be alternatively oradditionally provided on the upper corner assembly 146 and a similarstop bar may be provided at the top end of the support post 120. Whenthe support post 120 is stopped by the stop pin 148, continued pullingon the handle 134 of the lead post 118 pulls the lead post 118 free fromits releasable engagement with the support post 120 leaving the supportpost 120 in position at the corner assemblies 140 and 146, as shown inFIG. 3. The support post 120, now positioned at the bend or corner inthe frame 114, provides a vertical support for the flexible panel 116 toturn the corner and not sag or flex inward as it passes through thecorner in the frame 114.

As shown in FIG. 4, continued pulling on the handle 134 causes the leadpost 118 to continue moving along the second linear track assembly 138of the bottom track assembly 122 and the second linear track assembly144 of the top track assembly 124 until the lead post 118 engages thesecond vertical support 128. The latch assembly 130, positioned on thelead post 118, may be engaged with the inner edge 132 of the secondvertical support 128 to lock the lead post 118 to the second verticalpost 128 in a manner described in more detail hereinbelow.

Once the user has completed their shower, the latch assembly 130 may bedisengaged from the second vertical support 128 and the handle 134grasped to reverse the process by pulling on the handle 134 and movingthe lead post 118 back in the direction of arrow “C”. The lead post 118may be moved back along the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124until it reengages the support post 120 such that the lead post 118 andsupport post 120 become reconnected and jointly movable with theflexible panel 116 along the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and124. Further movement of the lead post 118 moves the lead post 118 andthe support post 120 back towards the cartridge assembly 112. Theflexible panel 116 is biased inwardly with respect to the cartridgeassembly 112 to draw the flexible panel 116 into the cartridge assembly112 and prevent the flexible panel 116 from bunching up as the lead andsupport posts 118 and 120, respectively, are moved back to theiroriginal positions adjacent the cartridge assembly 112.

The components of the enclosure system 100, including the cartridgeassembly 112, the frame 114, the flexible panel 116, the lead post 118and the support post 120, may be formed from a variety of materials. Forexample, the flexible panel 116 may be formed from a variety ofsynthetic polymers and plastics and may be opaque or transparent. Insome embodiments, such as for shower and bath applications, the flexiblepanel 116 is waterproof and provides a water barrier. The frame 114,along with the lead post 118 and the support post 120, may be formedfrom polymers and/or plastics or may be formed from metallic materials,such as, for example aluminum, stainless steel, etc. The cartridgeassembly 112, as discussed in more detail hereinbelow, includes a largenumber of subcomponents with may also be formed from polymeric and/ormetallic materials. Further, the frame 114 may be assembled by variousknown methods such as, but not limited to, bolting, screwing, welding,gluing, etc. the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124 to thefirst and second vertical supports 126 and 128 in known manner.

Turning now to FIGS. 5-29, and initially with regard to FIGS. 5-10,different components of the enclosure system 100 in accordance withcertain embodiments of the invention will now be described in moredetail. As best shown in FIG. 5, the lead post 118 may include anelongate, optionally flat, main body 160 extending generally from andbetween the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124. The main body160 may have a leading edge 162, a trailing edge 164, a top end 166 anda bottom end 168. In order to releasably connect the lead post 118 tothe second vertical support 128 when the flexible panel 116 is in theclosed position (FIG. 4), the leading edge 162 of the main body 160 maybe formed with or include at least one connection tube 170 extendingalong all or part of the length of the leading edge 162, and preferablyalong substantially the entire length of the leading edge 162 spanningbetween the top and bottom track assemblies 124 and 122. In someembodiments, the connection tube(s) 170 may have a cylindrical shape,which may be laterally truncated on the side of the cylinder on whichthe cylindrical connection tube 170 is secured to or extends from theleading edge 162 of the main body 160. Similarly, in order to releasablyconnect the lead post 118 to the support post 120 (as shown for instancein FIG. 2), the trailing edge 164 of the main body 160 may be providedwith a generally cylindrical, flexible clip 172 extending along all orpart of the length of the trailing edge 164 of the main body 160. Theflexible clip 172 on the main body 160 is configured to releasablyconnect to a corresponding structure on the support post 120 asdescribed in more detail hereinbelow.

With continued reference to FIG. 5, in order to smoothly move the leadpost 118 along the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124,respectively, the lead post 118 may include at least one upper roller174 rotatably mounted to the main body 160 adjacent the top end 166 ofthe main body 160 and at least one lower roller 176 rotatably mounted tothe main body 160 adjacent the bottom end 168 of the main body 160. Theupper roller 174 rides in the upper track assembly 124 of the frame 114and the lower roller 176 rides in the lower track assembly 122 of theframe 114 in a manner described in more detail hereinbelow.

The latch assembly 130 and the handle 134 of the lead post 118 arepositioned at a middle portion 178 of the elongated main body 160 of thelead post 118. The latch assembly 130 of the present embodimentgenerally includes a first or upper latch member 180 which rides alongand is slidably mounted over the leading edge 162 of the main body 160of the lead post 118 and a second or lower latch member 182 which alsorides along and is slidably mounted over the leading edge 162 of themain body 160. The upper and lower latch members 180 and 182,respectively, are movable towards and away from each other to lock andunlock the lead post 118 from the second vertical support 128 asdescribed below. The double-latch nature of the latch assembly 130 mayreduce the risk of the latch assembly 130 becoming disconnected from thesecond vertical support 128 in the event that a person inadvertentlyhits or disengages one of the upper or lower latch members 180 or 182,respectively, which could result in the biased flexible panel 116unexpectedly retracting back towards the cartridge assembly 112. Thus,the double-latch, latch assembly 130 may provide increased safety to theshowering person, as it may enhance the ability of the closed, flexiblepanel 116 remaining in the closed position and supporting the person, inthe event that the person loses stability while showering andaccidentally leans on or falls on the flexible panel 116.

Turning now to FIG. 6, the upper and lower latch members 180 and 182 ofthe latch assembly are releasably engageable with a frame clip 184mounted on the second vertical support 128. The frame clip 184 includesan upper pin 186 engageable with the upper latch member 180 and a lowerpin 188 engageable with the lower latch member 182. The frame clip 184further includes or defines a flexible clip 190. The flexible clip 190is provided to elastically and releasably engage the connection tube 170provided on the leading edge 162 of the main body 160 to releasablyconnect the lead post 118 to the second vertical support 128. The frameclip 184 is secured to the second vertical support 128 by a screw 192 orother similar fastener.

As noted above, the upper and lower latch members 180 and 182 areprovided to lock onto the frame clip 184 to prevent the flexible panel116 retracting accidentally or undesirably. The upper latch member 180may generally include a body portion 194 having rearwardly extending,spaced-apart latch arms 196 and 198. The body portion 194 of the upperand lower latch members 180 and 182 may be slidably clipped onto orotherwise slidably engaged with the elongate bar 160 to movably mountthe upper latch member 180 to the main body 160 and allow the upperlatch member 180 to slide up and down relative to the frame clip 184mounted on the second support member 128. The body portion 194 maydefine a first cavity 200 which may be formed as a through cavityconfigured to slidably receive the connection tube 170 of the main body160. In some embodiments, the body portion 194 may be elasticallyclipped to the main body 160 by an elastic clip provided between theconnection tube 170 and the first cavity 200. The latch arms 196 and 198may be provided with respective finger tabs 202 and 204 to allow a userto easily slide the upper latch member 180 along the leading edge 162 ofthe main body 160 of the lead post 118. The finger tabs 202 and 204 mayextend generally oppositely to one another from the elongate bar 160. Insome embodiments, the finger tabs 202 and 204 may be horizontal.Alternatively or additionally, the finger tabs 202 and 204 may begenerally flat (as shown) or alternatively include an ergonomic outercontour configured to adjust to one or more fingers.

The upper latch member 180 may further include or define a second cavity206, which may extend into the body portion 194 from an underside of thebody portion 194 and may be formed as a through cavity (as shown) or ablind cavity. The second cavity 206 is provided to receive the upper pin186 of the frame clip 184, to engage the slidable upper latch member 180to the frame clip 184 and thus securely lock the lead post 118 to thesecond vertical support 128. Furthermore, the latch arms 196 and 198define a third cavity or gap 208 therebetween to fit around the mainbody 160 and the handle 134 as discussed below. The handle 134 isprovided with an upper stop 210 to limit the upper travel of the upperlatch member 180 relative to the handle 134. A lower stop 212 is alsoprovided on the handle 134 to similarly limit the lower travel of thelower latch member 182 relative to the handle 134.

Similarly, the lower latch member 182 may include a body portion 214having rearwardly extending, spaced-apart latch arms 216 and 218 anddefining a first cavity 220 for slidably engaging the connection tube170 on the main body 160 of the lead tube 118. The latch arms 216 and218 also include respective finger tabs 222 and 224 to facilitate movingthe second latch member 182 along the main body 160. The lower latchmember 182 includes or defines a second cavity 226 for receipt of thelower pin 188 of the frame clip 184. The latch arms 216 and 218 define athird cavity 228 therebetween to fit around the main body 160 and thehandle 134. The detailed description provided heretofore of each elementcomprised in the upper latch member 180 is applicable to thecorresponding same element comprised in the lower latch member 182.

With continued reference to FIG. 6, the handle 134 may include a raisedhandle grip 230 configured to facilitate grasping the handle 134 andmoving the lead post 118 along the bottom and top track assemblies 122and 124. For instance, the raised handle grip 230 may extend outwardlyfrom an L-shaped body portion 232 of the handle 134. While notspecifically shown, a mirror-image raised handle grip may bealternatively or additionally provided on the body portion 232 of thehandle 134 on the side of the body portion 232 opposite the raisedhandle grip 230.

The latch assembly 130 may be assembled to the lead post 118 bypositioning the latch arms 196 and 198 of the upper latch member 180about the leading edge 162 of the main body 160 and over the L-shapedbody portion 232 of the handle 134. The latch arms 196 and 198 arepositioned between the upper and lower stops 210 and 212 of the handle134. The upper latch member 180 may then be pressed onto the connectiontube 170 of the lead post 118 until the elastic clip at the first cavity200 of the upper latch member 180 snaps over the connection tube 170.The lower latch member 182 may be similarly mounted to the lead post 118by positioning the lower latch member 182 between the upper and lowerstops 210 and 212 of the handle 134 and snapping the elastic clip at thefirst cavity 220 of the lower latch member 182 over the connection tube170 of the lead post 118. The upper and lower latch members 180 and 182,respectively, of the latch assembly 130 are thereby retained on andslidably mounted to the lead post 118. It should be noted that the upperand lower latch members 180 and 182 frictionally engage the body portion232 of the handle 134 to permit the upper and lower latch members 180and 182 to remain in a raised or disconnected condition along the handle134, and that said friction may be manually overcome with relative easein order to manually slide the upper and lower latch members 180 towardsand away from one another during operation of the handle 134.

Turning now to FIGS. 7-10, and initially with regard to FIGS. 7 and 8,use of the connection tube 170 of the lead post 118 to releasablyconnect the lead post 118 to the second vertical support 128 and the useof the latch assembly 130 to subsequently lock the lead post 118 to thesecond vertical support 128 will now be described. Initially, the upperand lower latch members 180 and 182 of the latch assembly 130 are movedto a spaced apart condition adjacent the respective upper and lowerstops 210 and 212 on the body portion 214 of the handle 134. The userinitially advances the lead post 118 along the bottom and top trackassemblies 222 and 224, respectively, to draw the flexible panel 116 outof the cartridge assembly 112 (FIG. 1) towards the second verticalsupport 128 to enclose the shower area 1000. Drawing of the flexiblepanel 116 is facilitated by grasping the raised handle grip 230 of thehandle 134 and drawing the lead post 118 towards the second verticalsupport 128. The lead post 118 is moved towards the second verticalsupport 128 to move the connection tube 170 of the lead post 118 into aposition to releasably engage the flexible clip 190 in the frame clip184 mounted on the second vertical support 128.

Turning now to FIGS. 9 and 10, once the connection tube 170 of the leadpost 118 engages and elastically snaps into the flexible clip 190 of theframe clip 184, the lead post 118 is releasably connected to the secondvertical support 128 thereby enclosing the shower area 1000 (FIG. 1).The user can then take a shower and, when finished, pull back on thehandle 134 to disengage the connection tube 170 from the frame clip 184.The bias on the flexible panel 116 may automatically draw, or contributeto draw (with help of the user pulling the handle 134), the lead post118 away from the second vertical support 128 to open the enclosuresystem 100. As the lead post 118 moves back along the bottom and toptrack assemblies 122 and 124, the lead post 118 catches and disengagesthe support post 120 from the corner stop pin 148 on the lower cornerassembly 140 thereby allowing the support post 120 to return to theoriginal position along with the lead post 118 (FIG. 1). As mentionedheretofore, in some embodiments, the user may use the handle 134 toassist and control the movement of the lead post 118 and thus thesupport post 120 and the flexible panel 116 back to the open originalposition, with help of the internal bias which tends to wind theflexible panel 116 back into the cartridge assembly 112.

Should the user desire to lock the lead post 118 to the second supportpost 128 to prevent any inadvertent withdrawal of the flexible panel116, the user presses down on the finger tab(s) 202 on the upper latchmember 180 (FIG. 9) to move the upper latch member 180 down over theupper pin 186 in the frame clip 184 (FIG. 10) to a locked condition.More specifically, the upper latch member 180 is moved down over theupper pin 186 until the upper pin 186 enters the second cavity 206 inthe upper latch member 180 to securely lock the lead post 118 to thesecond vertical support 128. Likewise, the user can gain added securityby raising the lower latch member 182 up until the lower pin 188 entersthe bore 226 in the second latch member 182 to further lock the leadpost to the second vertical support 128 and thus securely lock theflexible panel 116 around the shower area 1000.

As best shown in FIG. 10, in order to unlock the lead post 118 from thesecond vertical support 128, the process is reversed by raising andlowering the upper and lower latch members 180 and 182, respectively, torelease the upper and lower latch members 180 and 182 form therespective upper and lower pins 186 and 188 of the frame clip 184 to theinitial unlocked condition (FIG. 9). The lead post 118 can then bepulled free of the frame clip 184 in the manner described hereinabove towithdraw or open the flexible panel 116.

Turning to FIG. 11, the support post 120 generally includes an elongatemain body 240 having a top end 242 and a bottom end 244. The elongatemain body 240 may be in the form of a bar, tube or profile, which may besolid or hollow. In some embodiments, the main body 240 may have anouter convex or outwardly curved contour at least along a side of themain body 240 which faces the flexible panel 116; the outwardly curvedcontour may allow the flexible panel 116 to smoothly move over and alongthe elongate main body 240 with minimal friction and preventing damageto the flexible panel 116. For example, in some preferred embodiments,such as the present embodiment, the main body 240 may be generallycylindrical, as shown. The cylindrical nature of the elongate main body240 may allow the flexible panel 116 to smoothly move around and alongthe elongate main body 240 with minimal friction and increasingdurability of the flexible panel 116. An upper carriage member 246 maybe mounted on the top end 242 of the main body 240 and a lower carriagemember 248 may be mounted on the bottom end 244 of the main body 240. Insome embodiments, the elongate main body 240 is rotatably connected tothe upper and lower carriage members 246 and 248 such that the main body240 may rotate relative to said carriage members about a centrallongitudinal axis of the main body 240, allowing the flexible panel 116to roll on the cylindrical main body 240 as the flexible panel 116 isadvanced towards or away from the second vertical support 128, which mayfurther increase durability of the flexible panel 116. In someembodiments, the upper and lower carriage members 246 and 248 may eachhave an elongated, L-shaped profile configuration. The lower stop bar150, described hereinabove, may be mounted on, and extend from, thelower carriage member 248. Similarly, the upper carriage member 246 mayinclude an upper stop bar 250 mounted on, and extending from, the uppercarriage member 246 for engagement with a similar stop pin 148 on thetop corner assembly 146 (FIG. 2). In order to freely move the supportpost 120 along the upper track assembly 124, the support post 120includes a pair of upper track rollers 252 and 254 rotatably mounted onthe upper carriage member 246.

As noted hereinabove, the displacement of the support post 120 along thebottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124 is stopped or arrested atthe corner assemblies 140 and 146 by engagement of the lower and upperstop bars 150 and 250 with the lower and upper stop pins 148 on thelower and upper corner assemblies 140 and 146, respectively. Asdescribed heretofore, when the support post 120 is stopped at the cornerassemblies 140 and 146, the flexible panel 116 may be drawn past thesupport post 120 and around the corner as the lead post 118 is detachedfrom the support post 120 and drawn toward the second vertical supportpost 128.

With continued reference to FIG. 11, the support post 120 includes apair of vertical side or upper panel rollers 256 and 258 rotatablymounted to the upper carriage member 246. The upper panel rollers 256and 258 are rotatable about respective rotation axes 257 and 259 whichare perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the flexible panel116; for instance, in the present embodiment, the flexible panel 116moves horizontally, while the upper panel rollers 256 and 258 arerotatable about respective vertical rotation axes 257 and 259 of theupper panel rollers 256 and 258. The upper panel rollers 256 and 258 arefree to rotate relative to the upper carriage member 246 and against theflexible panel 116 as the flexible panel 116 is pulled past thestationary support post 120 and rolls over the upper panel rollers 256and 258, for purposes that will be described hereinafter.

The upper carriage member 246 may additionally include a projection orconnector 260 which is provided to releasably engage the support post120 with the lead post 118. The connector 260 may be shaped as alaterally-truncated circle or cylinder, as shown, for instance andwithout limitation. In an initial condition of the lead post 118 andsupport post 120 relative to one another (FIGS. 1 and 2), the connector260 of the support post 120 is disconnectably secured within theflexible clip 172 (FIG. 5) formed in the trailing edge 164 of the leadpost 118. This connection between the connector 260 and the flexibleclip 172 provides an elastic, snap fit connection which secures thesupport post 120 to the lead post 118 until the movement of the supportpost 120 along the bottom and top track assemblies 122 and 124 isarrested by the lower and upper stop pins 148 on the bottom and topcorner assemblies 140 and 146, respectively. Once the support post 120is stopped from moving forward, continued pulling on the lead post 118causes the flexible clip 172 to disconnect from the connector 260 andthereby allow the lead post 118 and flexible panel 116 to progressforward towards the closed condition, as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Similarly, as further shown in FIG. 11, the lower carriage member 248may include a pair of lower track rollers 262 and 264 and a pair ofvertical side or lower panel rollers 266 and 268 which may rotate, andfunction, analogously to the upper track rollers 252 and 254 and theupper panel rollers 256 and 258 described hereinabove. The lowercarriage member 248 may further include a projection or connector 270for releasable engagement with the flexible clip 172 on the lead post118. Providing connectors 260 and 270 on both the upper and lowersupport plates 246 and 248, respectively, may contribute to preventcanting of the support post 120 as the support post 120 is disengagedfrom the lead post 118.

With continued reference to FIG. 11, the upper carriage member 246 mayinclude a vertical plate or portion 272 and a horizontal plate orportion 274 forming an L-shaped arrangement with one another, with thevertical portion 272 arranged on an outer side of the elongate main body240 configured to face the flexible panel 116, and the horizontalportion 274 arranged past the top end of the elongate main body 240.Similarly, the lower carriage member 248 may include a vertical plate orportion 276 and a horizontal plate or portion 278 forming an L-shapedarrangement with one another, with the vertical portion 276 arranged ona same side of the elongate main body 240 as the vertical portion 272 ofthe upper carriage member 246, and the horizontal portion 278 arrangedpast the bottom end of the elongate main body 240. The pair of uppertrack rollers 252 and 254 are rotatably mounted on the vertical portion272 of the upper carriage member 246, protruding from an outer side ofthe vertical portion 272. The pair of upper panel rollers 256 and 258are rotatably mounted on the horizontal portion 274 of the uppercarriage member 246, protruding downward from an inner side or undersideof the horizontal portion 274. Similarly, the pair of lower trackrollers 262 and 264 are rotatably mounted on the vertical portion 276 ofthe lower carriage member 248, protruding from an outer side of thevertical portion 276. The pair of lower panel rollers 266 and 268 arerotatably mounted on the horizontal portion 278 of the lower carriagemember 248, protruding upward from an inner side or top side of thehorizontal portion 278.

Turning to FIGS. 12 and 13, the details of the bottom track assembly 122will now be described. It should be noted that, as mentioned heretofore,the top track assembly 124 may be substantially identical and may differonly in that the stop pin 148 on the corner assembly 146 of the toptrack assembly 124 faces downward to engage the stop bar 250 on theupper carriage member 246 of the support post 120. As noted hereinabove,the bottom track assembly 122 may generally include the first lineartrack assembly 136, the second linear track assembly 138 and the cornerassembly 140, which interconnects the first and second linear trackassemblies 136 and 138 at an angle such as 90 degrees with one another.The stop pin 148 protrudes upward from a top side of the corner assembly140.

The corner assembly 140 includes a corner body portion 280, defining acurved channel 282, and a pair of connectors 284 and 286. The connectors284 and 286 extend outward from opposite ends of the corner body portion280 in different directions (e.g., perpendicularly) relative to oneanother. The first linear track assembly 136 comprises a channel 288,and the second linear track assembly 138 comprises a channel 290. Thecorner assembly 140 is connected to the first linear track assembly 136by inserting the connector 284 of the corner assembly 140 into thechannel 282 of the corner assembly 140 and into the channel 288 of thefirst linear track assembly 136. Similarly, the corner assembly 140 isconnected to the second linear track assembly 138 by inserting theconnector 286 into the channel 282 of the corner assembly 140 and thechannel 290 in the second linear track assembly. In some embodiments,the connector 284 and/or 286 may come pre-assembled or integrally-formedwith the corner assembly 140 or with the first or second linear trackassemblies 136 and 138, respectively. Connecting the connectors 284 and286 causes the channel 282 of the corner assembly 140 to align with thechannels 288 and 290 defined in the first and second linear trackassemblies 136 and 138 in continuity with one another to allow the lowerroller 176 of the lead post 118 to pass from the first linear trackassembly 136, through and around the corner assembly 140 and into thesecond linear track assembly 138 as described hereinbelow.

As mentioned heretofore, in some embodiments, the bottom track assembly122 and/or the top track assembly 124 may be length-adjustable. Forexample, the bottom track assembly 122 and/or the top track assembly 124may be comprised of two or more track segments which are telescopicallyadjustable relative to each other to vary the overall length of thebottom track assembly 122 and/or the top track assembly 124. Withspecific reference, for instance, to FIG. 12, in some embodiments, thefirst linear track assembly 136 and/or the second linear track assembly138 may be made of two or more linear track segments which aretelescopically connected and adjustable relative to one another to varythe overall length of the first and/or second linear track assembly 136,138 and thereby allow the frame 114 (FIG. 1) to be adjusted toaccommodate differently-sized shower areas 1000.

As further shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the bottom track assembly 122 mayinclude an end piece 292 defining a channel 294 for receipt of the firstlinear track assembly 136. The end piece 292 may be fixedly connected tothe first linear track assembly 136 or may be slidably mounted theretoto allow for adjustment of the length of the combined first linear trackassembly 136 and end piece 292 to further accommodate various sizeshower areas 1000. In some embodiments, the end piece 292 may include apair of elastic clips 296 and 298 for disconnectable connection tomating projections on the first vertical support 126 to easily, rapidlyand disconnectably connect the bottom track assembly 122 to the firstvertical support 126. Similarly, the bottom track assembly 122 mayinclude an additional end piece 300 defining a channel 302 for receiptof the second linear track assembly 138 and/or a pair of elastic clips304 and 306 for rapidly, easily and disconnectably connecting the bottomtrack assembly 122 to the second vertical support 128.

In some embodiments, such as the present embodiment, the first andsecond linear track assemblies 136 and 138 may be compatible formounting to both connectors 284 and 286 of the bottom corner assembly140 and to both end pieces 292, 300 on either side of the bottom cornerassembly 140. In some embodiments, the connectors 284, 286 may begenerally the same. Alternatively or additionally, the end pieces 292,300 may be generally the same.

Turning to FIGS. 14 and 15, the movement of the lead post 118, thesupport post 120 and the flexible panel 116 along the bottom trackassembly 122 will now be described. The movement along the top trackassembly 124 is substantially identical and will not be furtherdescribed. Initially, as shown in FIG. 14, the support post 120 isconnected to the lead post 118 by the disconnectable connection betweenthe connector 270 and flexible clip 172, in the manner describedhereinabove. The lower roller 176 of the lead post 118 and the lowertrack rollers 262 and 264 of the support post 120 are located within thechannel 288 in the first linear track assembly 136 of the bottom trackassembly 122. The flexible panel 116 is attached to the lead post 118and is positioned against the lower panel rollers 266 and 268 of thesupport post 120 and against an outer surface 241 of the main body 240of the support post 120. Sufficient pulling of the lead post 118eventually causes the lead post 118 to be moved into the corner suchthat the lower roller 176 of the lead post 118 passes into the channel282 in the corner assembly 140 (FIG. 12).

With specific reference to FIG. 15, continued pulling of the lead post118 pulls on the flexible panel 116 and support post 120 and eventuallycauses the lower carriage member 248 of the support post 120 to reachthe corner assembly 140, and the lower track rollers 262 and 264 to movefrom the channel 288 in the first linear track assembly 136 and into thechannel 282 in the corner assembly 140. Eventually, as shown in thefigure, the stop bar 150 on the support post 120 engages the stop pin148 on the corner assembly 140, blocking further forward movement of thesupport post 120 along the corner assembly 140 and towards the secondvertical support 128 (FIG. 3). In some embodiments, the stop bar 150 mayinclude an indentation or space 152 (shown in phantom lines in FIG. 15)configured to receive, and optionally elastically clip to, the stop pin148 when the stop bar 150 abuts against the stop pin 148, furthercontributing to stabilize the support post 120 in this stopped conditionat the corner assembly 140. Once the support post 120 is stopped,continued pulling of the lead post 118 along the corner assembly 140 andthe second linear track assembly 138 disengages the connectors 260, 270(FIG. 11) of the support post 120 from the flexible clips 172 (FIG. 5)on the lead post 118, causing the lead post 118 to become detached fromthe support post 120. Further pulling of the lead post 118 then slidesthe lead post 118 along the second linear track assembly 138, causingthe lead post 118 to draw the flexible panel 116 around the support post120.

As best shown in FIG. 15, as the flexible panel 116 moves forward withthe lead post 118, the flexible panel 116 may advance between andrelative to the lower panel rollers 266, 268 and the vertical portion276 of the lower carriage member 248, and may roll smoothly against andon the lower panel rollers 266 and 268 of the support post 120. In someembodiments, the flexible panel 116 may ride along the outer surface 241of the elongate main body 240 of the support post 120 along most of orsubstantially the entire length of the main body 240. Thus, theprovision of the support post 120, whose movement is arrested at thecorner assembly 140, serves to guide the flexible panel 116 around thecorner while supporting the flexible panel 116 at the corner to preventthe flexible panel 116 from collapsing inward at the corner assembly140. Once the flexible panel 116 reaches the closed condition (FIG. 4),the flexible panel 116, which may or may not be perfectly tense in thearea of the support post 120 and corner assembly 140, is prevented fromsagging inward by the adjacent support post 120 extending verticallyalong the flexible panel 116.

Notably, the lower track rollers 262 and 264 of the support post 120 areseparated from one another a relatively small distance which allows thelower track rollers 262 and 264 to roll smoothly into and along thecurved, inner track 282 of the corner assembly 140. In turn, the lowerpanel rollers 266 and 268 are more spaced apart with one another thanthe lower track rollers 262 and 264, and positioned such that the lowerpanel rollers 266 and 268 maintain first and second areas or portions116 a and 116 b of the flexible panel 116, located at opposite sides ofthe corner area, parallel to the first and second linear trackassemblies 136 and 138, respectively, to maintain an aestheticallypleasing orientation of the flexible panel 118 at either side of thecorner assembly 140, as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 15.

Referring now to FIGS. 16 and 17, at least one of the bottom, first andsecond linear track assemblies 136 and 138, and also the top, first andsecond linear track assemblies 142 and 144, may be formed of two or moretelescopically-interconnected parts and/or may be telescopically formedwith the end pieces 292 and 300. Details of these telescopicarrangements are shown in FIG. 16, with reference for instance to thefirst linear track assembly 136 and the channel 294 of the end piece292, wherein said details are equally applicable to any additional oralternative telescopic connections within each linear track assembly136, 138, 140, 144 or between each linear track assembly and the endpiece (e.g., end pieces 292, 300) at the top or bottom of the frame 114.As shown, the telescopically-connected parts may be nested within oneanother; for instance, the first linear track assembly 136 may be nestedwithin the channel 294 of the end piece 292. Sliding thetelescopically-connected parts relative to one another, i.e. the endpiece 292 relative to the first linear track assembly 136, allows theuser to adjust the length of the bottom track assembly 122 (FIG. 1) tosuit the shower area 1000. Additionally, in cross section, the variousdisclosed channels may have two sections or parts. For example, withregard to the channel 288 of the first linear track assembly 136, thechannel 288 may have an outer or first channel area 314 to accommodatethe disclosed rollers and an inner or second channel area 316 to allowfor the connectors 284 and/or 286 of the corner assembly 140. The firstand second channel areas 314 and 316 may be arranged generally parallelto one another. The second channel area 316 may extend along all or partof the length of the first linear track assembly 136; for instance, inthe present embodiment, both the first and the second channel areas 314and 316 extend along the entire length of the first linear trackassembly 136.

With regard to FIG. 17, in the case of the nested first linear trackassembly 136 and the end piece 292, the lower roller 176 of the leadpost 118, and the lower track rollers 262 and 264 of the support post120 (which are in alignment with the lower roller 176 of the lead post118) ride in the combined first linear track assembly 136 and the endpiece 292. For example, with regard to the lower roller 176 of the leadpost 118, the lower roller 176 rides in and along the first channel area314 of the first linear track assembly 136, contacting internal walls315 defining the first channel area 314; in addition, a collared shaftportion 318 of the lower roller 176 rolls on a lip or rim 312 of the endpiece 292. This arrangement of the lower roller 176 contacting both theinner telescopic part (e.g., first linear track assembly 136) and theouter telescopic part (e.g., end piece 292) ensures the lower roller 176rides smoothly along the bottom track assembly 122.

Turning now to FIGS. 18-29, and initially with regard to FIG. 18, thedetails of the cartridge assembly 112 will now be described. As notedhereinabove, the cartridge assembly 112 is provided to be releasablyattached to the frame 114 and retain the flexible panel 116 undertension so that the flexible panel 116 is biased into retraction withinthe cartridge assembly 112 when not in use. The cartridge assembly 112may include an outer shell 330 having an interior space 332, which mayextend along the entire length of the outer shell 330. The outer shell330 may have an open top end 334 and an open bottom end 336 in spatialcommunication with the interior space 332. The outer shell 330 mayinclude a longitudinally extending panel slot 338 for passage of theflexible panel 116 into and out of the cartridge assembly 112.

The cartridge assembly 112 may further include a drum 340 positionedwithin the outer shell 330 and about which the flexible panel 116 iswound. The drum 340 may include an interior space 342, which may extendthrough the entire length of the drum 340, and open top and bottom ends344 and 346 in spatial communication with the interior space 342. Theinterior space 342 may have a non-circular transverse cross-section atleast in the area of the top and bottom ends 344 and 346, and morepreferably along the entire length of the drum 340. For instance, in thedisclosed embodiment, the non-circular interior space 342 of the drumhas a generally D-shaped transverse cross-section. While the disclosedinterior space 342 is D-shaped, other non-circular shapes arecontemplated, such as, but not limited to, rectangular, oval, lobed,etc. The drum 340 may be positioned within the outer shell 330 asdescribed in more detail hereinbelow.

In order to bias the flexible panel 116 into the cartridge assembly 112,the cartridge assembly may include a tensioning mechanism 350 connectedto the drum 340 and positioned within the interior space 342 of the drum340. It should be noted that, while the illustrations of FIGS. 18-28show an embodiment of the cartridge assembly 112 including a singletensioning mechanism 350 at the top of the cartridge assembly 112,further embodiments are contemplated in which the cartridge assembly 112may alternatively or additionally include a similar tensioning mechanism350 at the bottom of the cartridge assembly 112. For instance, in aparticularly advantageous embodiment, shown in FIG. 29, a cartridgeassembly 112′ is shown including two tensioning mechanisms 350,respectively arranged at top and bottom ends of the cartridge assembly112. It should be noted that, unless expressed otherwise, details of thetop tensioning mechanism 350 described with reference to the embodimentof FIGS. 18-28 may be symmetrically provided in the bottom tensioningmechanism 350.

With continued reference to FIG. 18, a top shell cover 352 may close offthe open top end 334 of the outer shell 330 and a bottom shell cover 354may close off the open bottom end 336 of the outer shell 330 to retainthe flexible panel 116, the drum 340 and the tensioning mechanism 350within the interior space 332 of the outer shell 330.

As further shown in FIG. 18, the tensioning mechanism 350 may include abiasing spring 360, which provides a torsion spring function configuredto bias the flexible panel 116 into the cartridge assembly 112 bytensioning or loading the drum 340 for rotation within, and relative to,the outer shell 330, and about a central longitudinal axis 342 of thedrum 340. The biasing spring 360 may also function indirectly as anextension (or pulling) spring for purposes that will be describedhereinafter. The biasing spring 360 is positioned within and extendsalong an inner tube 362 of the tensioning mechanism 350. The inner tube362 is freely movable inside the drum and freely slides up and downwithin the drum 340 as the biasing spring 360 it tensioned and relaxed,as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The tensioningmechanism 350 may further include a bottom spring connector 364 securedto a bottom end 373 of the biasing spring 360 at a bottom end of theinner tube 362, wherein the bottom spring connector 364 (and thus thebottom end of the biasing spring 360) is slidable within andnon-rotatable relative to the drum 340. A top cap 366 may close off theopen top end 344 of the drum 340 and a bottom cap 368 may close off theopen bottom end 346 of the drum 340. The top cap 366 and the bottom cap368 are non-rotationally connected to the drum 340 and rotate jointlywith the drum 340 within the outer shell 330. With reference to FIG. 29,it should be noted that, in embodiments including both top and bottomtensioning mechanisms 350, the top and bottom biasing springs 360 may besymmetrical to one another such that the springs 360 provide aspring-loading effect in the same angular direction and thus cooperatein spring-loading the cartridge assembly 112.

Referring again to FIG. 18, the tensioning mechanism 350 may furtherinclude a spring tension adjustment rod 370, which allows an operator topre-set the tension on the biasing spring 360, or change the tension onthe biasing spring 360 during or after installation of the cartridgeassembly 112 in the enclosure system 100. The adjustment rod 370 mayextend through the top shell cover 352 of the outer shell 330 and thetop cap 366 of the drum 340 and engage a top end 372 of the biasingspring 360 such that the adjustment rod 370 and top end 372 of thebiasing spring 360 are jointly rotatable. Rotation of the adjustment rod370 relative to the drum 340 tensions the biasing spring 360 within thedrum 340 as discussed hereinbelow.

Referring now to FIGS. 19 and 26, the biasing spring 360 is receivedwithin a through cavity or interior space 374 of the inner tube 362. Thebottom spring connector 364 includes a non-circular base 376 and athreaded shaft 378 extending upward from the base 376. In thisembodiment, the non-circular base 376 is shaped as a laterally truncatedcylinder (i.e. has a D-shaped transverse cross-section) having a flatside 380. The shape of the non-circular base 376 conforms to the shapeof the non-circular interior space 342 (FIG. 18) of the drum 340 suchthat the base 376 jointly rotates with the drum 340 and is free to slideup and down within the interior space 342 in the drum 340 as the biasingspring 360 expands and contracts. The threaded shaft 378 of the bottomspring connector 364 is threaded into the bottom end 373 of the biasingspring 360 to secure the bottom spring connector 364 to the biasingspring 360.

As noted hereinabove, the top end 372 of the biasing spring 360 isconnected to the tension adjustment rod 370. The tension adjustment rod370 generally includes an elongate adjustment shaft 384 having athreaded bottom end 386. The threaded bottom end 386 of the adjustmentshaft 384 is threaded into the top end 372 of the biasing spring 360 tosecure the tension adjustment rod 370 to the biasing spring 360.Rotation of the tension adjustment rod 370 rotates the biasing spring360 within the drum 340. A top end 388 of the adjustment shaft 384 isconnected to a circular locking adjustment flange 390 having one or more(and preferably a plurality of) locking arms 400 extending radiallyoutwardly from the adjustment flange 390. A torque-applying connector402 (e.g., a hexagonal male and/or female connector), is affixed to orprovided on the adjustment flange 390 to facilitate rotating the tensionadjustment rod 370 as described hereinbelow.

As noted above, the tension adjustment rod 370 passes through the topshell cover 352 and the top cap 366 of the drum 340. Specifically, theadjustment shaft 384 of the tension adjustment rod 370 passes through abore or hole 404 in the top shell cover 352 and a bore or hole 406 inthe top cap 366 of the drum 340. The tension adjustment rod 370 may bepulled up vertically relative to the top shell cover 352 to allow thetension adjustment rod 370 to be rotated, in order to rotate the top end372 of the biasing spring 360 relative to the bottom end 373 of thebiasing spring 360. In order to secure the position of the tensionadjustment rod 370 and thus the top end 372 of the biasing spring 360after rotational adjustment, an upper surface 357 of a transverse, coverwall 356 of the top shell cover 352 is provided with a plurality ofstops 410. The stops 410 may include recesses 412 for receipt of thelocking arm or arms 400 of the tension adjustment rod 370.

With continued reference to FIGS. 19 and 26, the top cap 366 of the drum340 may be configured to frictionally engage an underside 414 of the topshell cover 352 (FIG. 26) when the flexible panel 116 is being retractedinto the cartridge assembly 112, softening the retraction and preventingthe flexible panel 116 from slamming or whipping back into the cartridgeassembly 112. Specifically, the top cap 366 may include a circularflange 416 and a non-circular (e.g., D-shaped) shaft 418 extending fromthe circular flange 416. An external, braking surface 417 of thecircular flange 416 may engage the top shell cover 352 while thenon-circular shaft 418 is secured within the top end 344 of the drum 340and the non-circular shaft 418 rotates with the drum 340 due to thecorresponding engagement with the non-circular interior space 342 of thedrum 340 (FIG. 18). Likewise, the bottom cap 368 of the drum 340 alsoincludes a circular flange 420 and a non-circular shaft 422. Thecircular flange 420 may rotate freely relative to the bottom shell cover354 (e.g., within a recess 424 in the bottom shell cover 354), while thenon-circular shaft 422 is non-rotationally received within the interiorspace 342 of the drum 340. In some embodiments, the bottom shell cover354 may be provided with a plurality of drain slots 426 to allow anymoisture on the flexible panel 116 to drain out of the cartridgeassembly 112. Furthermore, the bottom shell cover 354 may include a pairof projections 430 and 432 which engage the elastic clips 296 and 298 inthe end piece 292 to removably secure the bottom end of the cartridgeassembly 112 to the frame 114. Similarly, the top shell cover 352 mayinclude a pair of projections 434 and 436 which engage similar elasticclips in a top end piece of the frame 114, to removably secure a top endof the cartridge assembly 112 to the frame 114.

With reference to FIG. 20, in some embodiments, the outer shell 330 maybe provided with a pair of wipers 428 at opposite sides of the slot 338and along the slot 338 through which the flexible panel 116 enters andexits the cartridge assembly 112. The wipers 428 serve to wipe offexcess water from the flexible panel 116 as the flexible panel 116 isretracted back into the cartridge assembly 112 after use. The wipers 428may be elastic, and made, for instance and without limitation, of rubberor silicone.

Turning to FIGS. 20-25, the operation of the tensioning mechanism 150 topre-tension the flexible panel 116 within the drum 340 will now bedescribed. As best shown in FIGS. 24 and 26, in the initial conditionprior to adjustment of the tension of the tension spring 360, theplurality of locking arms 400 extending from the adjustment flange 390of the tension adjustment rod 370 are locked or secured to the top shellcover 352. Specifically, the plurality of locking arms 400 arepositioned within the recesses 412 (FIG. 21) of the stops 410 on the topshell cover 352. It should be noted that, in embodiments including bothtop and bottom tensioning mechanisms 350 (e.g., the embodiment of FIG.29), the respective recesses 412 may be symmetrically formed such thatthe respective locking arms 400 are engaged with the recesses 412 in thesame angular direction.

As best shown in FIGS. 20 and 25, in order to unlock the tensionadjustment rod 370 from the top shell cover 352, an operator engages thetorque-applying connector 402 with a torque-applying tool such as, butnot limited to, wrench, pliers, or s screwdriver, and applies a torqueon the torque-applying connector 402 to cause the tension adjustment rod370 to rotate. The operator then proceeds to rotate the tensionadjustment rod 370 such that the plurality of locking arms 400 are movedout of the recesses 412 in the stops 410.

Referring now to FIGS. 21 and 22, once the tension adjustment rod 370has been unlocked from the top shell cover 352, the tension adjustmentrod 370 is free to move axially relative to the top shell cover 352, andcan be raised by the operator to position the plurality of locking arms400 out of alignment with the stops 410 on the top shell cover 352.Thus, the tension adjustment rod 370 is now in an elevated and unlockedposition in which the tension adjustment rod 370 can be rotated with nointerference by the stops 410 on the top shell cover 352.

With continued reference to FIGS. 21 and 22, in order to pre-set oradjust the tension on the biasing spring 360, and thus pre-set or adjustthe retraction bias on the flexible panel 116, the user rotates thetension adjustment rod 370 relative to the top shell cover 352. In orderto further load the biasing spring 360, the operator rotates the tensionadjustment rod 370 away from the recesses 412 (clockwise in the depictedexample); if, instead, the user wishes to reduce the spring tension(unload the spring), the user rotates the tension adjustment rod 370towards the recesses 412 (counterclockwise in the depicted example). Asthe bottom spring connector 364 is prevented from rotation within thedrum 340 due to the non-rotational engagement between the bottom springconnector 364 and the interior space 342 of the drum 340 as describedabove but is free to slide longitudinal within the interior space 342 ofthe drum 340, rotation of the top end of the biasing spring 360 causesthe spring tension to change. It must be noted that, as the biasingspring 360 is unloaded, the biasing spring 360 compresses axially,drawing the bottom spring connector 364 upward within the drum 340, thebottom spring connector 364 in turn pushing and carrying the inner tube362 upward; conversely, as the biasing spring 360 is loaded, the biasingspring 360 extends axially, pushing the bottom spring connector 364downward within the drum 340, and allowing the inner tube 362 to descenddue to gravity.

With reference to FIG. 26, it should be noted that two separaterotatable “groups” are formed within the cartridge assembly 112. Thefirst group includes the drum 340 and the top and bottom caps 366, 368,which jointly rotate within the assembled outer shell 330 (shown inphantom lines) and the top and bottom shell covers 352 and 354. Thesecond group includes the bottom end 373 of the biasing spring 360 andthe bottom spring connector 364, both of which are rotated jointly bythe drum 340 as the flexible panel 116 is extended from and retractedback into the cartridge assembly 112. In some embodiments, the innertube 362 may also form part of this second group and jointly rotate withthe bottom end 373 of the biasing spring 360 and the bottom springconnector 364. The top end 372 of the biasing spring 360 and thetensioning adjustment rod 370, affixed to the top shell cover 352, donot rotate with the drum 340 as the flexible panel 116 is extended fromand retracted back into the cartridge assembly 112.

The illustrations of FIGS. 27 and 28 show the sequence of operation ofthe cartridge assembly 112 as the flexible panel 116 is extended out ofthe cartridge assembly 112. As shown in FIG. 27, when the flexible panel116 is arranged inside the outer shell 330 and has not yet been pulledout therefrom, the biasing spring 360 is in an initial condition withinthe drum 340 and the outer shell 330. In this condition, the biasingspring 360, inner tube 362 and the bottom spring connector 364 are in aninitial position within the drum 340. Furthermore, in this initialcondition, the biasing spring 360 is slightly extended such that thebiasing spring 360 (operating as an extension spring) pulls on thebottom spring connector 364, which in turn exerts an upward force on abottom end 440 of the inner tube 362, in turn causing a top end 442 ofthe inner tube to exert an upward force on an underside 444 of the topcap 366 of the drum 340. The upward force on the underside 444 of thetop cap 366 causes the braking surface 417 of the circular flange 416 ofthe top cap 366 to press against an underside 358 of the cover wall 356of the top shell cover 352 (said underside 358 arranged opposite to theupper surface 357 of the cover wall 356). Thus, in this initialposition, while the first rotatable “group” (drum 340 and top and bottomcaps 366, 368) is rotatable relative to the outer shell 330, thereexists, however, a relatively high friction between this first rotatable“group” and the top shell cover 352 via the braking surface 417 of thecircular flange 416 pressing against the underside 358 of the top shellcover 352.

From this initial position of FIG. 27, a user wishing to take a shower,for instance, may start to extend the flexible panel 116 out of thecartridge assembly 112 (FIG. 1) by pulling on the handle 134 asdescribed heretofore in order to form an enclosure. Pulling of theflexible panel 116 causes the drum 340, to which the flexible panel 116is attached and wound around, to begin rotating within the outer shell330. Rotation of the drum 340 is facilitated by the rotatable connectionof the top cap 366 of the drum 340 to the top shell cover 352 of theouter shell 330 and the rotatable connection of the bottom cap 368 ofthe drum 340 to the bottom shell cover 354 of the outer shell 330.

As the drum 340 rotates during the extension of the flexible panel 116out of the cartridge assembly, the drum 340 rotates the bottom springconnector 364, and thus the bottom end 373 of the biasing spring 360,while the top end 372 of the biasing spring 360 remains non-rotatable byits engagement with the locked tensioning adjustment rod 370. Rotationof the bottom end 373 relative to the top end 372 of the biasing spring360 causes the biasing spring 360 to torsionally load or tension. As thedrum 340 rotates, the biasing spring 360 becomes further torsionallytensioned within the drum 340. Due to the increased torsional load, thebiasing spring 360 (which was initially slightly extended) furtherextends or elongates within the drum 340, and thus progressively reducesits pulling force on the bottom spring connector 364. As the biasingspring 360 torsionally loads and axially extends, the bottom springconnector 364, along with the inner tube 362, slide downward within thedrum 340, thereby progressively reducing the friction between thebraking surface 417 of the circular flange 416 and the top shell cover352, making gradually easier for the drum 340 to rotate and the flexiblepanel 116 to be pulled further outward. As the flexible panel 116 isextended out of the cartridge assembly 112 and rotates the drum 340, thebiasing spring 360 is torsionally tensioned and also further axiallyextended relative to the initial condition of FIG. 27.

In the final, closed position of the flexible panel 116 (FIG. 4), theinner tube 362 may be separated from the top cap 366 due to gravity andmay rest on the bottom spring connector 364, which in turn is arrangedin a lowered condition by the axial expansion of the biasing spring 360.In this final position, the friction (if any) between the brakingsurface 417 of the circular flange 416 of the top cap 366 and theunderside 358 of the top shell cover 352 is substantially less than thefriction in the initial condition of FIG. 27. As has been describedheretofore, the user may secure the flexible panel 116 in the closedcondition by operating the latch assembly 130 (FIG. 5) to the closedcondition (FIG. 10).

When the user has finished showering and wishes to exit the shower area1000, the user may operate the latch assembly 130 to the open condition(FIG. 9) and pull/push on the handle 134 to initiate displacement of theflexible panel 116 towards the open position (FIG. 1). As the flexiblepanel 116 is pulled back, an inverse sequence of steps takes placewithin the cartridge assembly 112. The tensioning mechanism 150, andmore specifically, the torsionally-loaded biasing spring 360 rotates thedrum 340 in an opposite, winding direction and pulls the flexible panel116 back into the cartridge assembly 112. Notably, as the biasing spring360 rotates the drum 340 in the winding direction to assist inretracting the flexible panel 116 back into the cartridge assembly 112,the biasing spring 360 contracts within the drum 340 and pulls on thebottom spring connector 364 upwards, causing the bottom spring connector364 to slide upward within the drum 340 with the bottom end 373 of thebiasing spring 360. As the bottom spring connector 364 rises, the bottomspring connector 364 eventually drives the inner tube 362 back up intoengagement with the top cap 366 of the drum 340, forcing the inner tube362 back into engagement with the underside 444 of the top cap 366 andthus to once more push upward on the top cap 366. Continued rotation ofthe drum 340 causes said upward pushing force of the inner tube 362 onthe top cap 366 to gradually increase, which in turn produces agradually increasing friction between the braking surface 417 of thecircular flange 416 of the top cap 366 and the top shell cover 352. Thisgradually-increasing friction produces a dampening effect on therotation of the drum 340, thereby controlling speed and acceleration ofthe drum 340 and flexible panel 116 as the tensioning mechanism 150retracts the flexible panel 116 back into the cartridge assembly 112.This frictionally aided retraction prevents the flexible panel 116 fromwhipping back into the cartridge assembly 112, thus providing a moresatisfying usage experience to the user as well as increases durabilityof the enclosure system 100.

Turning now to FIG. 30, as noted hereinabove, the flexible panel 112 ofthe disclosed enclosure system 100 is secured to the drum 340 of thecartridge assembly 112. In some embodiments, a trailing or inner end 450of the flexible panel 116 may be received within a longitudinal cutoutor slot 452 formed in the drum 340. The flexible panel 116 may besecured within the slot 452 by crimping or otherwise forcing a crimp arm454 of the drum 340, formed by the formation of the slot 452, againstthe flexible panel 116 to capture or bite the flexible panel 116 betweenthe crimp arm 454 and the remainder of the drum 340.

The illustrations of FIGS. 31-34 shown a portable, foldable ramp 500 inaccordance with a further aspect of the invention. The portable,foldable ramp 500 may facilitate rolling a wheelchair (not shown) orother wheeled apparatus over the bottom track assembly 122 (FIGS. 1 and31) of the frame 114 of the disclosed enclosure system 100 to access theshower area 1000. The foldable ramp 500 may include a first ramp 510, asecond ramp 512 and a pivot or hinge 514 pivotally connecting the firstramp 510 to the second ramp 512. The ramp 500 may be foldable between adeployed condition (FIGS. 31 and 33) spanning the bottom track assembly122, and a storage condition (FIGS. 32 and 34) in which the first ramp510 is folded back over on the second ramp 512 for removal and storage.

As best shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, in the deployed condition, a bottomsurface 516 of the first ramp 510 may rest on the upper surface 1140 ofthe floor 1100 of the shower area 1000 and a bottom surface 518 of thesecond ramp 512 may rest on the upper surface 1140 of the floor 1100outside the shower area 1000. A space 524 may be formed between an innersurface 520 of the first ramp 510 and an inner surface 522 of the secondramp 512, the space 524 shaped and size to receive the bottom trackassembly 122 and, if present, a bottom wall or other structure 1170carrying the bottom track assembly 122 and arranged between the uppersurface 1140 of the floor 1100 of the shower area 1000 and the uppersurface 1140 of the floor 1100 outside the shower area 1000. In someembodiments, the inner surface 520 of the first ramp 510 may abutagainst the bottom track assembly 122 and/or the structure 1170.Alternatively or additionally, the inner surface 512 of the second ramp512 may abut against the bottom track assembly 122 and/or the structure1170. In certain preferred embodiments, both inner surfaces 510 and 512abut against the structure 1170 to further immobilize the ramp 500. Thedisclosed portable foldable ramp 500 is movable between the deployedcondition and the folded condition. In the deployed condition, shown inFIG. 33, top sloped ramp surfaces 511 and 513 of the first and secondramp 510 and 512, respectively, form an inverted V-shape configurationwhich facilitates a wheelchair or other wheeled apparatus overcoming thebottom track assembly 122 and structure 1170 (of any) when entering orexiting the shower area 1000. In the folded condition, shown in FIG. 34,the ramp surfaces 511 and 513 may stably and flatly rest against oneanother to stabilize the foldable ramp 500.

Both the first and second ramps 510 and 512, respectively, may be formedin skeletal form for strength and light weight. The first and secondramps 510 and 512 may be formed from a variety of material, such as, butnot limited to, lightweight aluminum, plastic or polymers, wood,combinations thereof, etc. In a non-limiting example, the hinge 514 mayinclude one or more piano type hinges and may be formed from stainlesssteel.

Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be madeto the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intendedthat all matters in the foregoing description and shown in theaccompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined bythe appended claims and their legal equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An enclosure system for selectively enclosing ashower area or other space, the enclosure system comprising: a frame,comprising a top track assembly and a bottom track assembly arranged ina spaced-apart configuration with one another and extending horizontallyalong a space, each of the top and bottom track assemblies comprisingrespective first and second linear track segments and a respectivecorner area arranged between the respective first and second lineartrack segments, the frame further comprising at least one stopper at oneor both of the corner areas; a cartridge assembly carried by the frame,the cartridge assembly comprising a shell and a flexible panelextendable from and retractable into the shell to selectively enclosethe space; a lead post, attached to and extending along a leading edgeof the flexible panel located outside the shell, the lead postconfigured to travel along the top and bottom track assemblies; asupport post, disconnectably attachable to the lead post and arranged onan inner side of the flexible panel facing the space; wherein the leadpost, the flexible panel, and the support post attached to the lead postare jointly displaceable along the first linear track segments of thetop and bottom track assemblies, and the at least one stopper isconfigured to stop displacement of the support post at the corner areas;and wherein with the support post stopped by the at least one stopper atthe corner areas, the lead post is disconnectable from the support postby pulling on the lead post, enabling advancement of the lead post andflexible panel past the corner areas and along the second linear tracksegments of the top and bottom track assemblies, wherein the supportpost at the corner areas is arranged at or proximate to the inner sideof the flexible panel limiting inward sagging of a portion of theflexible panel located between the corner areas.
 2. The enclosure systemof claim 1, wherein each of the top and bottom track assembliescomprises a respective corner assembly disconnectably attachable to therespective first linear track segment and the respective second lineartrack segment of said each of the top and bottom track assemblies, therespective corner assembly providing the respective corner area.
 3. Theenclosure system of claim 2, wherein the at least one stopper comprisesa first stopper at the corner assembly of the top track assembly and asecond stopper at the corner assembly of the bottom track assembly. 4.The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the support post comprises anelongated main body and at least one upper roller and at least one lowerroller arranged at opposite top and bottom ends of the elongated mainbody, the at least one upper roller and at least one lower rollerprotruding outward relative to an outer side of the flexible panelopposite the inner side and configured to roll along the top and bottomtrack assemblies, the upper and lower rollers rotatable about respectivehorizontal rotation axes, the support post further comprising at leastone pair of panel rollers, each pair of panel rollers consisting of afirst panel roller and a second panel roller rotatable about respectivevertical axes and arranged on opposite sides of the support post at theinner side of the flexible panel, with the flexible panel extendingbetween the at least one pair of panel rollers and the upper and lowerrollers, with the at least one pair of panel rollers rollinglycontacting the inner side of the flexible panel.
 5. The enclosure systemof claim 4, wherein, with the support post and flexible panel advancedpast the corner areas and the support post stopped by the at least onestopper, first and second portions of the flexible panel extending fromthe corner areas are maintained generally parallel to the first andsecond linear track segments, respectively, by the at least one pair ofpanel rollers.
 6. The enclosure system of claim 4, wherein the at leastone pair of panel rollers comprises a top pair of panel rollers arrangedat the top end of the support post and a bottom pair of panel rollersarranged at the bottom end of the support post.
 7. The enclosure systemof claim 6, wherein the top and bottom pairs of panel rollers arearranged in vertical registration with one another.
 8. The enclosuresystem of claim 4, wherein the at least one upper roller comprises apair of upper rollers, and the at least one lower roller comprises apair of lower rollers.
 9. The enclosure system of claim 8, the pair ofupper rollers are arranged more separated from one another than thefirst and second panel rollers of each pair of panel rollers, and thepair of lower rollers are arranged more separated from one another thanthe first and second panel rollers of each pair of panel rollers. 10.The enclosure system of claim 9, wherein the elongated main body isarranged between the first and second panel rollers of each pair ofpanel rollers.
 11. The enclosure system of claim 4, wherein the supportpost comprises a top carriage member and a bottom carriage member,wherein the elongated main body extends between the top and bottomcarriage member, wherein the at least one upper roller is rotatablycarried by the top carriage member and the at least one lower roller isrotatably carried by the bottom carriage member, and further wherein theat least one pair of panel rollers is rotatably carried by the carriagemembers.
 12. The enclosure system of claim 11, wherein each of the topand bottom carriage members comprises a respective horizontal portionand a respective vertical portion forming an L-shaped arrangement,wherein the at least one upper roller and the at least one lower rollerextend outwardly from the respective vertical portion of the top andbottom carriage members, and further wherein the at least one pair ofpanel rollers extends from and between the horizontal portions of thetop and bottom carriage members.
 13. The enclosure system of claim 12,wherein the at least one pair of panel rollers comprises a top pair ofpanel rollers carried by the horizontal portion of the top carriagemember and a bottom pair of panel rollers carried by the horizontalportion of the bottom carriage member.
 14. The enclosure system of claim12, wherein the at least one stopper comprises a first stopper at thecorner assembly of the top track assembly and a second stopper at thecorner assembly of the bottom track assembly, and the top and bottomcarriage members comprise a respective stop bar protruding from therespective vertical portion, wherein the first and second stoppers areconfigured to stop displacement of the support post at the corner areasby a contact between the support bars and the first and second stoppers.15. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the support post isdisconnectably attachable to the lead post by an elastic clipconnection.
 16. The enclosure system of claim 15, wherein the elasticclip connection connects a leading end of the support post to a trailingend of the lead post.
 17. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein anouter surface of the support post is outwardly curved at least along aside of the support post facing the inner side of the flexible panel.18. The enclosure system of claim 1, wherein the cartridge assembly isdisconnectably attached to the frame.
 19. An enclosure system forselectively enclosing a shower area or other space, the enclosure systemcomprising: a frame, comprising a top track assembly and a bottom trackassembly arranged in a spaced-apart configuration with one another andextending horizontally along a space, each of the top and bottom trackassemblies comprising respective first and second linear track segmentsand a respective corner area arranged between the respective first andsecond linear track segments, the frame further comprising a stopper atone or both of the corner areas; a cartridge assembly disconnectablycarried by the frame, the cartridge assembly comprising a shell and aspring-biased, flexible panel extendable from and retractable into theshell to selectively enclose the space; a lead post, attached to andextending along a leading edge of the flexible panel located outside theshell, the lead post configured to travel along the top and bottom trackassemblies; a support post, disconnectably attachable to the lead postby an elastic clip connection, the support post arranged on an innerside of the flexible panel facing the space; wherein the lead post, theflexible panel, and the support post attached to the lead post arejointly displaceable along the first linear track segments of the topand bottom track assemblies, and the at least one stopper is configuredto stop displacement of the support post at the corner areas; andwherein with the support post stopped by the at least one stopper at thecorner areas, the lead post is disconnectable from the support post bypulling on the lead post, enabling advancement of the lead post andflexible panel past the corner areas and along the second linear tracksegments of the top and bottom track assemblies, wherein the supportpost at the corner areas is arranged at or proximate to the inner sideof the flexible panel limiting inward sagging of a portion of theflexible panel located between the corner areas.
 20. An enclosure systemfor selectively enclosing a shower area or other space, the enclosuresystem comprising: a frame, comprising a top track assembly and a bottomtrack assembly arranged in a spaced-apart configuration with one anotherand extending horizontally along a space, each of the top and bottomtrack assemblies comprising respective first and second linear tracksegments and a respective corner area arranged between the respectivefirst and second linear track segments, the frame further comprising astopper at one or both of the corner areas; a cartridge assemblydisconnectably carried by the frame, the cartridge assembly comprising ashell and a spring-biased, flexible panel extendable from andretractable into the shell to selectively enclose the space; a leadpost, attached to and extending along a leading edge of the flexiblepanel located outside the shell, the lead post configured to travelalong the top and bottom track assemblies; a support post,disconnectably attachable to the lead post by an elastic clip connectionbetween a leading end of the support post and a trailing end of the leadpost, the support post arranged on an inner side of the flexible panelfacing the space; wherein the lead post, the flexible panel, and thesupport post attached to the lead post are jointly displaceable alongthe first linear track segments of the top and bottom track assemblies,and the at least one stopper is configured to stop displacement of thesupport post at the corner areas; and wherein with the support poststopped by the at least one stopper at the corner areas, the lead postis disconnectable from the support post by pulling on the lead post,enabling advancement of the lead post and flexible panel past the cornerareas and along the second linear track segments of the top and bottomtrack assemblies, wherein the support post at the corner areas isarranged at or proximate to the inner side of the flexible panellimiting inward sagging of a portion of the flexible panel locatedbetween the corner areas.